Pakistan's ICC Champions Trophy 2006 campaign

Icc Champions Trophy 2006

Group B, Match 6 PAK vs SA: South Africa reach semis

Oct 27, 2006

South Africa tore through Pakistan's top order for a landslide 124-run win in Mohali to book their place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Chasing South Africa's 213/8 Pakistan lost all their wickets for 89 by the 25th over. South African paceman Makhaya Ntini took 5-21 off six overs,as all-rounder Shahid Afridi offered Pakistan brief hope with a four and a six in his 14, and Yasir Arafat (27) and Umar Gul (7) staved off the inevitable with a late stand of 30. None of the top seven reached double figures.

Pakistan's record lowest one-day score is 43 off 19.5 overs against West Indies in Cape Town in 1993.Earlier, the Proteas won the toss but were reeling at 42-5 before Mark Boucher (69) and Justin Kemp (64) ground out 131 to set a total of 213-8.

Reported Earlier:
It's a must-win match for both the teams, as the winner of this contest will move into the semifinals of the tournament.
Both the teams have made one change.
Yasir Arafat, who was called into the Pakistan side after Shoiab Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were sent back, has been included in the playing XI in place of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
South Africa has dropped Robin Peterson and included Charl Langeveldt.

Pakistan, South Africa to fight for semifinal berth

Oct 27, 2006

After their defeat against New Zealand, Pakistan will have to regroup quickly and find their best form when they clash with South Africa in the Champions Trophy at Mohali on Friday.
It is a contest which would decide the second semi-finalist from group-B.
Both sides need a victory to make it to the semi-finals of the high-profile event having lost one of their two games played so far, staging the set for a cracker of a match under floodlights.
Form and odds, however, favour South Africa as they are not only above Pakistan in the run rate table, but have shrugged off the first match defeat to the Kiwis with a handsome win against Sri Lanka in their last match and put their campaign back on track.
The story has unfolded a little differently for Younis Khan's men. From captaincy drama, change of regime and worst still the doping scandal, which forced them to pull out the important pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, Pakistan were totally in shambles.
But nothing mattered to the talented Pakistanis when they took the field in the first match against Sri Lanka and beat them in a keenly contested game.

Group B, Match 5 NZ vs PAK: Kiwis beat Pakistan to make semis

Oct 25, 2006

Pakistan were all out for 223 in 46.3 overs, chasing New Zealand's formidable 274 for seven at Mohali. Scott Styris and Stephen Fleming both hit half-centuries in a pitch where early conditions helped the Pakistani Pace attack.

With this win New Zealand reached the Semis at the expense of Sri Lanka. The result leaves Pakistan needing to beat South Africa in their final group game to qualify for the semi-finals. Pakistan were struggling at 83-4 before Mohammad Yousuf (71) and Shoaib Malik (52) added a vital fifth-wicket stand of 96.

Pakistan could miss speedsters on bouncy Mohali pitch

Oct 24, 2006

When Pakistan take on New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international encounter at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) ground, Mohali Wednesday, they will definitely miss the services of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif on a "hard-rolled and bouncy track".
Till Monday evening, it was not the Pakistani side which was going the extra yard to practice in the early winter chill of north India. Though some Pakistan players did come out to practice later in the evening, it was the New Zealanders who sweated it out at the nets.
The Pakistan side, which has been camping in Chandigarh, 10 km from here, since Thursday, has not had a full-fledged cricket practice over the last four days.
All that the Pakistan players did was to have some fielding practice for two hours in a stadium in Chandigarh, play football, watch a couple of Hindi movies, do sight-seeing and shopping, enjoy Diwali festivities and dine at the residence of their liaison officer.
New Zealand will depend a lot on the services of paceman Shane Bond on the grassy, bouncy pitch here.
It is here Pakistan will miss their real fast bowlers - Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif - both of whom made an unceremonious exit from the Champions trophy with bowling a single delivery after testing positive for doping.
Pakistan's bowling coach Waqar Younis said that the side was also trying to concentrate on the batting department.

Group B, Match 2 SL vs PAK: Pakistan wins after a slump

Oct 17, 2006

Pakistan won their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against Sri Lanka by 4 wickets with 11 balls remaining. Sri Lanka were all out for 253 in 49.2 overs in Jaipur after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
For Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya top scored with 48 from 35 balls with five boundaries and two huge sixes. Upul Tharanga, who put on 63 runs with Jayasuriya and 45 runs with skipper Mahela Jayawardene, was caught behind by Kamran Akmal off a Abdul Razzaq delivery for 38 runs. Razzaq ended up with 4 wickets for 50 runs in 7.2 overs.

For Pakistan Imran Farhat hit a 53 of 64 balls while Mohammad Yousuf was run out for 49. Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on 46.

Sri Lanka wary of crisis-hit Pakistan

Oct 17, 2006

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has warned his team against taking a depleted Pakistan side lightly in Tuesday's Champions Trophy Group B tie.
Pakistan strike bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were withdrawn from the tournament on Monday after the pair returned positive tests for the steroid nandrolone in pre-tournament tests conducted at home.
Pakistan cricket is still reeling from a ball-tampering fiasco which caused the team to forfeit the recent fourth test against England at The Oval, controversy over the captaincy and the resignation of board chairman Shaharyar Khan.
However, even without the injured Shoaib, Pakistan were still strong enough to defeat hosts Sri Lanka in the test and one-day series in March-April.
Jayawardene said his team would miss the challenge of facing Shoaib, one of the most colourful characters in cricket and rated the sport's fastest bowler along with Australia's Brett Lee.
Sri Lanka eye their 11th consecutive one-day victory on Tuesday after skittling out defending champions West Indies for 80 in their nine-wicket victory in the final qualifier on Saturday.